The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-05-20
A TORN BANK-NOTE.
Twenty Dollars Worth of Paris
ian Red Tape.

In one OF Miss Susan Hale's recent
letters from France she descril Is a lit
tie adventure with La Banque de la
France, that great fountain head from
which flow all the bank notes of that
country; as Baedeker says, zone of the
very first establishments Of credit for
the entire world" She says:
You may wonder why the necessities
OF my simple letter of credit should
have brought me in contact with so
stupendous a machine, but you will
see in the course of this little tale of
trench red tape. 1t all came about
from the want of pocket.
took my handbag with me when
went to Perier's freres to draw some
money, not dreaming, of course, of the
Bank of France. They gave me some
gold and some hundred-franc notes.
French notes are not like ours, but
larger and squares, made of flimsy
white paper, ragged around the edges,
with agriculture and navigation in
pale blue ink, holding their imple-
mcnts in weary attitude in front of a
blue sort of Fireplace beneath the sig
natures of the principal cashier and the
secretary general. Each bill has some
number in each of its four corners. l
never should have noticed these things
but formy adventure. A primrose by the
river was nothing more than yellow
primrose, and bank note in Paris was
nothing more than a warrant of GER
tain amount of enjoyment at the Bon
Marche, or at Voisin's.
folded my notes lengthwise and
Crosswise, and dropped them, rather
loosely, | confess, into the bag There
were other things there-my notebook,
pocket-handkerchief, and a great many
big sous, which are a nuisance, being
heavy and always out of the way when
wanted in a hurry. | had long course
that day, in and out of cabs and shops,
including half an hour at the water
color exhibition, and several visits
with afternoon tea), during which
rummaged good deal in the bag to
fish up sous Of pour boires. Now do
not hastily suppose / lost athe bank
notes. | was tired when we reached
home after dinner; but took out the
money, put it in a secret place and
locked it up.
But when, next morning, I sat down
TO my accounts and took out my bank
notes, one of them was torn-shock-
ingly torn, with great piece gone
out of it! ran to the bag, and there
found q very small piece which had
"cent " on it, but the rest of the
corner was missing. 1 remembered
shaking the bag out over the fire, and
that small bits of paper fell out. !
stuck on the piece that said "cent -
and then regarded the torn note with
great anguish. Twenty dollars is too
much tolose anywhere and one hundred
francs seemed even more important.
Although l was afraid that | might be
cast into prison if the autho rites should
find out that / had burned up a piece
of billet de banque, resolved to reveal
my crime to the landlady of our hotel.
In fear and trem bling put the mat
ter before her, and watched her count
Cnanco as l showed her the torn bill.
She had a good, comfortable, rudy
complexion; l fancied it turned pale
whom she saw the very big hole in the
corner. However, she said, cheerfully:
'Ce nest rien, mademoiselle, and
took it herself to consult the learned.
] went about my business with what
chcerfulness | could command. Losing
money tends to extravaganza in my ex-
perience, You think of all the things
you might have bought with the de,
parted sum, and ask yourself: "Why
scrimp with the rest?"
When l came in again madam adj.
vanced radiant and said: Mad
emoiselle, your bank note is good. Ii
retains three numbers, only one is
missing, but you yourself must take il
to the Bank of France and explain the
circumstances.
''Where is, then, the Bank Of
France?" I inquired. You know
thought it might be at Orleans, OIL
somewhere nearer the center of the
country. Or it might be kept, for rea
sons of state, in ST. Petersburg. The
good people assured me it was in
Paris, and quite easy to find, only they
didn't know where.
Then [ said: 81 am afraid they will
make me say something do not know
how to say in French" Whereat they
abounded in compliments upon my
progress in their tongue.
l climbed one stair, consulted Bae
deker and the Plan, and went fortl
with my torn note.
The Bank of France is tucked away
in the midst of network Of crooked
little streets like those at the nortl